Smart notifications in a social networking site

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for creating and modifying calendar events in a social networking site environment. On receiving a user request to modify a data entry describing a previously scheduled event or on detecting a change to a data entry describing a previously scheduled event, a synchronous communication session is initiated among the event participants. Subsequent to initiating a synchronous communication session, the data entry describing the previously scheduled event is modified based at least in part on at least one of the user request of the synchronous communication. On receiving a user request to add a new data entry describing a new event, a synchronous communication session is initiated for all event participants. Subsequent to the initiation of the synchronous communication session, the data entry for the new event is added based on at least one of the user request of the synchronous communication.

1 . A computer-implemented method for modifying a previously scheduled event at a social networking site, the method comprising:
 receiving, using one or more computing devices, an indication of a request to modify a data entry describing a previously scheduled event;   determining, using the one or more computing devices, two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event;   initiating, using the one or more computing devices, a synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants in response to the received indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, the synchronous communication session being different than the previously scheduled event; and   modifying, using the one or more computing devices, the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, wherein the modifying is done directly through a synchronous communication session tool by one or more of the determined participants   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the modifying comprises:
 receiving, using the one or more computing devices, an indication of a new data entry describing the previously scheduled event from at least one of the received indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event or the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants; and   modifying, using the one or more computing devices, the data entry describing the previously scheduled event according to the new data entry received from at least one of the received indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event or the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event further comprises:
 providing a mechanism for the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, the mechanism being displayed to the two or more determined participants at the social networking site.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the two or more determined participants is a participant from whom the indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event is received. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 notifying, using the one or more computing devices, at least one of the two or more determined participants of the previously scheduled event, of the received indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the modifying is performed subsequent to initiating the synchronous communication session. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the synchronous communication session includes inviting the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event to the synchronous communication session. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the synchronous communication session includes obtaining an availability indication from the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the availability of the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event is obtained from the status of the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, at the social networking site. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event includes opening a dialog box at a device corresponding to each of the two or more determined participants. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-implemented method executed for scheduling a new event at a social networking site, the method comprising:
 receiving, using one or more computing devices, an indication of a request to add a data entry describing a new event including two or more participants;   determining, using the one or more computing devices, two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the new event;   initiating, using the one or more computing devices, a synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants in response to the received indication of the request to add the data entry describing the new event, the synchronous communication session being different than the previously scheduled event;   postponing the synchronous communication session when a wait is requested by the two or more determined participants; and   adding, using the one or more computing devices, the data entry describing the new event, wherein the adding is done directly through a synchronous communication session tool by one or more of the determined participants.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the adding comprises:
 receiving, using the one or more computing devices, an indication of a new data entry describing the new event from at least one of the received indication of the request to add the data entry describing the new event or the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants; and   adding, using the one or more computing devices, the new data entry describing the new event according to the data entry describing the new event received from at least one of the received indication of the request to add the data entry describing the new event or the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the adding, comprises:
 providing a mechanism for the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the new event, the mechanism being displayed to the two or more participants at the social networking site.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the adding is performed subsequent to initiating the synchronous communication session. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , further comprising, notifying the two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the new event of the received indication of the request to add the data entry describing the new event. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein initiating a synchronous communication session with the two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the new event includes inviting the two or more participants to the synchronous communication session. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein initiating a synchronous communication session with the two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the new event includes receiving availability indication from the two or more participants. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 19 , wherein the availability of the two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the new event is obtained from the status of the two or more participants at the social networking site. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein initiating the synchronous communication session with the one or more participants includes opening a dialog box at a device corresponding to each of the one or more participants. 
     
     
         22 . A system for modifying a previously scheduled event at a social networking site, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a non-transient machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, using one or more computing devices, an indication of a request to modify a data entry describing a previously scheduled event; 
 determining, using the one or more computing devices, two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event; 
 notifying, using the one or more computing devices, the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, of the received indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event; 
 initiating a synchronous communication session with the two or more participants in response to the received indication of the request to modify the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, the synchronous communication session being different than the previously scheduled event; and 
 modifying, using the one or more computing devices, the data entry describing the previously scheduled event, wherein the modifying is done directly through a synchronous communication session tool by one or more of the determined participants. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , the operations further comprising:
 inviting the two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event to the synchronous communication session.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , the operations further comprising:
 obtaining an availability indication from the two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the previously scheduled event.   
     
     
         25 . A non-transient machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, using one or more computing devices, an indication of a request to add a data entry describing a new event including two or more participants;   determining, using the one or more computing devices, two or more participants associated with the data entry describing the new event;   initiating, using the one or more computing devices, a synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the new event in response to the received indication of the request to add the data entry describing the new event, the synchronous communication session being different than the previously scheduled event;   cancelling the initiated synchronous communication session when an invitation is ignored for a pre-determined length of time or when requested by the two or more determined users; and   adding, using the one or more computing devices, the data entry describing the new event, wherein the adding is done directly through a synchronous communication session tool by one or more of the determined participants.   
     
     
         26 . The non-transient machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 notifying, the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the new event, of the received indication of the request to add a data entry describing the new event.   
     
     
         27 . The non-transient machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein initiating a synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the new event includes inviting the two or more determined participants to the synchronous communication session. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transient machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein initiating a synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the new event includes receiving availability indication from the two or more determined participants. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transient machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 providing a mechanism for the synchronous communication session with the two or more determined participants associated with the data entry describing the new event, the mechanism being displayed to the two or more participants at the social networking site.